It is unfortunate that Gov. Spencer Cox signed HB469 which will allow year-round hunting of cougars. Cougar population studies are fraught with problems because of the difficulty in counting populations for such a secretive and elusive animal. I’m sure he was informed of this. Well, I would hope he was informed.
What is more unfortunate is that Gov. Cox signed into law a bill where at the last minute, the most controversial aspect of the bill, year-round hunting of cougars, was added on the floor in the last hours of the session, with no hearings, no debate, no public input.
Elected representatives should not be encouraged or even rewarded to add things at the last minute, buried within a bill with some good aspects, to circumvent public input and healthy public debate on a topic like year-round cougar hunting. I’m sure the House member who added this to the bill knew he would lose in the court of public opinion. This was a sleazy, underhanded way to undermine public stewardship of our — yes, our — wildlife resources. Sleazy and underhanded — the Utah way.
Ronald Rood, Magna
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